CHICAGO – The televisions around the Cubs’ clubhouse Wednesday night displayed the schedule for the following day. The game between the D-backs and Rockies was not over – meaning a postseason clinch was still possible for Chicago – but no one in the locker room was locked in on that contest in Denver.
The Cubs had just walked off the field following a 3-2 loss to the Marlins, marking a second straight night that the North Siders could not check the win-and-in box at Wrigley Field. And then, shortly after Dansby Swanson wrapped up a session with reporters, the D-backs finished off a victory to keep Chicago’s playoff hopes in the balance.
“It always kind of seems like the baseball gods are going to test you,” Cubs starter Kevin Gausman said. “And it always seems to come at a time when you don’t want it to.”
The latest test has been a pile of missed opportunities over two games (2-for-26 with runners in scoring position) for a lineup currently lacking Alex Bregman, as he works his way back from the foul ball that resulted in multiple facial fractures Sunday in Cincinnati. Another test was seeing Gausman, amid a strong outing, exit with a left shoulder issue that the Cubs will hope does not linger.
And another test looms: a doubleheader Friday in Boston after major weather issues are forecasted for Saturday and Sunday. As things stand, the Cubs and Red Sox have a game slated for Saturday, but the teams and Major League Baseball will keep contingency plans in mind as they monitor the forecast in the coming days.
It is hardly ideal for a Cubs team that is trying to punch its ticket to the postseason.
“Really and truly, this one couldn’t be more out of our control,” Swanson said. “There’s just so much uncertainty, but there’s kind of some peace in that, knowing that at the end of the day, our job is to show up and put our best foot forward. We have a lot of pros in here who are capable of handling anything thrown their way.”
The loss dropped the Cubs’ record to 87-71, which put the North Siders into a tie with the Phillies for the second National League Wild Card spot. The Padres hold a one-game lead for the top Wild Card after beating the Dodgers late Wednesday night. The Cubs hold tiebreakers over both the Phillies and Padres.
Gausman gave the type of performance the Cubs had in mind when they traded for him at the Deadline, racking up seven strikeouts and generating 19 of 21 whiffs via his signature splitter. The righty really only had one blemish: a 2-0 fastball in the heart of the zone that Kyle Stowers turned into a two-run homer in the sixth.
“He pitched well. He made one mistake,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “They didn’t hit many balls hard.”
Later in the sixth, Griffin Conine reached on an infield single that he sent up the middle, where Swanson got a glove on the ball, but was too late with the throw to first. Heriberto Hernández sprinted from first to third on the play and Gausman hustled to get to the bag. Cubs first baseman Michael Busch fired the ball to the pitcher, who caught it and made a diving tag on the runner for a highlight-reel out.
It was a spectacular play, but one that left Gausman grimacing after he shifted to his feet.
“Kind of an awkward position to be in,” Gausman said. “I dislocated this shoulder in high school a long time ago. I didn’t necessarily do the same exact thing, but just kind of banged it pretty good. It felt fine until I kind of stood up to check the other runner. It just kind of felt the left shoulder was pretty weak at that point. It still feels pretty weak.”
Asked if he expected to be fine in a few days, Gausman hedged his answer.
“I hope I wake up and feel great tomorrow, but you never know,” he said. “I’ll get on some medicine, get some treatment, try to get in front of it tonight. But it’s just kind of a we’ll-wait-and-see type thing.”
That adds another complicating factor to an already-challenging pitching picture.
Lefty Matthew Boyd is slated to start Thursday against the Marlins and then, while nothing is official, things are pointing to Clay Holmes and David Peterson taking the ball in Friday’s twin bill. Things are up in the air from there. If there is a game Saturday as scheduled, lefty Shota Imanaga may need to work on short rest.
Then, there is the whole best-of-three Wild Card Series to consider next week, if the Cubs punch their October ticket as expected.
“All we can do is just be ready,” Gausman said, “Be ready to go for whenever we do play those games, and wherever they are.”